April 3, 2011

Final Stats

DAVIS, Calif. - Alex Holmes dominated the game early on for the UC Davis softball team, throwing a four-hitter to help the Aggies take a 5-3 win over Cal State Northridge on Sunday afternoon at La Rue Field.

The Matadors were held hit-less through five innings, with Holmes registering eight strikeouts for the game. UC Davis (17-13, 2-1) won the three-game series after jumping out to a 5-0 lead Sunday, scoring all runs in the first four innings. Cal State Northridge (13-20, 1-2) attempted a late comeback after breaking up the no-hitter, scoring two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh.

Megan Guzman was perfect on the day for the Aggies, going 3 for 3 with a run scored. Holmes helped her own cause, recording two hits, a walk and a run scored. Mikayla Thielges had a solo home run in the seventh and Jennifer Mosier had a two-RBI hit for the Matadors.

"I'm really proud of the team. I thought they did a good job of making adjustments from yesterday." said head coach Karen Yoder. "Any time you can knock out a team's ace, it gives your team the momentum. Alex commanded a great presence. She was on today and was able to use all of her tools."

UC Davis scored quickly in the bottom of the first, using a walk and a hit to take a lead they would not surrender. Holmes was on base after a lead-off walk and JJ Wagoner immediately followed with an RBI triple to score the run.

After a blank inning in the second, the Aggies reached the scoreboard again in the bottom of the third, posting two runs on two hits. Elizabeth Santana and Rachel Miller started with singles, followed by a hit by pitch to load the bases with no outs. UC Davis managed a pair of sacrifice flies in the next two at bats, giving the Aggies a 3-0 advantage.

UC Davis added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth after two hits. Guzman reached base with a lead-off infield single to start the inning. Holmes followed with an RBI triple down the right field line, her third triple of the weekend. The Aggies took advantage of a Matador miscue from there, scoring on an error by the shortstop to take a 5-0 lead through four innings.

After five and one thirds innings with no hits, Kristen Mihm broke up the no-hitter with a single just out of the short stop's reach. Cal State Northridge went on to score two runs in the inning, thanks to a two-RBI triple from Mosier.

The Matador's bid for a comeback continued into the seventh, with a lead-off solo home run for Thielges. The rally was short lived however, as a fly out and a 6-4-3 double play secured the 5-3 win for UC Davis.

Holmes improved to 12-10 with the complete game win, allowing three earned runs and striking out eight. Hannah Fraijo took the loss to drop to 9-6 after allowing seven hits and four earned runs in 3.1 innings of work.

Next up, UC Davis will step out of conference play for a midweek game on Wednesday, playing at San Jose State on Wednesday, Apr. 6 at 3 p.m.